Album Review: White Wizzard – Infernal Overdrive (M-Theory Audio)

LA based metal band White Wizzard will release their 4th album, Infernal Overdrive, on January 12th 2018 via M-Theory Audio. The record features the band’s classic members, bassist Jon Leon, vocalist Wyatt “Screaming Demon” Anderson and guitarist James J. LaRue.

A rolling drum beat, a wicked riff, a high-pitched screech…Infernal Overdrive is all about the metal. A traditional, old-school effort that fans of Dio & Judas Priest will really get along with.

The title track rises like an offended beast, Storm the Shores crashes & breaks as the lumbering thing shakes off the dust and Pretty May roars with passion. The beastly opening trio gets the head’s banging & the horns thrown.

Infernal Overdrive is a up-tempo record that sprays riffs around with the veritable ease of a band who’ve been doing this for a long time. It’s not just the riffs though. Vocals that have the power to make you sit up & take notice, solos that can be best described as ‘wailing’ & just a touch of melody. All of this makes White Wizzard’s efforts here a mostly memorable one.

It’s flaws, of which there few, mainly relate to them not knowing when to call time on a track. Chasing Dragons is over 8-minutes long, Voyage of the Wolf Raiders hits the 9-minute mark and Critical Mass also passes 8 minutes. A lot of the intracites are lost as the brain begins to shut down from repetition. Shave a few minutes off here & there would see Infernal Overdrive fare a little better.

Thankfully though, it’s still a mighty heavy metal album as the excellent darkened groove of Cocoon promises to fulfill all your lustful desires. The riffs & vocals are so on point here.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Infernal Overdrive ends with the longest track so far. Coming at over 11 minutes, The Illuision’s Tears begins like a ballad with soft melody & quietly sung vocals. It’s a sweet & memorable start that increases in tempo but never gets too heavy. A mid-point slowdown threatens to derail it though as it just falls flat & goes on for too long. Fortunately a hyper finale, delivering an intense guitar solo, ends things strongly.